Shark spotters needed for great count

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Luke Keioskie | 13th November 2008

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flickr.com/Jeff Kubina

THE shark spotters will be out again this weekend on the Coffs Coast, for the fourth dedicated counting of the Great Australian Shark Count.

Already, the world's largest community shark monitoring project has recorded more than 9800 sightings in our waters, with the most common sightings the Port Jackson, wobbegong and the endangered grey nurse.

Recfishwest acting executive director, Kane Moyle, said the Great Australian Shark Count is a fantastic example of community engagement.

“Enlisting the help of recreational fishers and divers in data collection makes perfect sense, as they are the people that spend the most time on the water,” Mr Moyle said.

The Australian Underwater Federation, who are spearheading the project, are hoping hundreds of skin and SCUBA divers and fishers will get involved by logging shark sightings on the program's website at www.auf.com.au.

The Great Australian Shark Count, which recently won the Recfish Australia Project of the Year award, is an 18-month project that started in June this year.